Current-collecting device for electric-railway systems.



No. 766,399. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. A. A. SHOBE & W. EMBLEY.

CURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Z6. 1903.

N0 MODEL, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 766,399. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. A. A. SHOBE L W. EMBLEY.

CURRENT COLLECTING DEVICE POR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL UNITED STATESV Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CURRENT-COLLECTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SYSTEMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,399, dated August2, 1904.

Application filed September 26,1903. Serial No. 174,811. (No model.)

To ,ZZ about it 'may (fo/tecra:

Be it known that we, ABRAHAM A. SHORE and VILLIAH EMBLEY, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Jerseyville, in the county of Jersey andState of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Current-CollectingDevice for Electric-Railway Systems, of which the following is aspccilication.

This invention relates to certain improvements in current-collectingdevices adapted especially for use in connection with that g'eneralclass ot' electric-railway systems in which the current-conductors arearrang'ed in an underground conduit.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel Jform et'current-collector in which the movable conducting members will be at alltimes held tirmly in eng'agement with the stationary conductors withoutreg'ard to uneven movement of the car or any irregularities in theroad-bed or variations in position of the conductors.

A further object ot' the invention is to provide a novel form of supportwhereby the car may be free to vibrate both vertically and laterallywithout in any manner disturbing the position or' the moving' contacts.

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafterappear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangementot' parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being'understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, andminor details ot' the structure may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing' any ot' the advantages ot the invention.

In the accompanying' drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectionalelevation of sutlicient ot an electric-railway system to illustrate theapplication thereto ot' a current-collecting device constructed andarranged in accordance with the invention. Fig'. 2 is an elevation ofthe same. Fig'. 3 is a detail perspective view ot' the upper portion otlthe hanger for supporting the contact-blocks. Fig. 4 is a similar Viewof the current-collector proper.

Similar numerals ot reference are employed to indicatecorrespondingparts throughout the several lig'ures of the drawings.

In the drawings, 1 designates an ordinary form of conduit comprisingsuitable vertical plates 2 andV top members 3, the latter being slightlyspaced in order to form the usual slot for the passage ot' the slot-bar.

Arranged within the conduit are two brackets and 5, the bracket Lserving as a support for the positive conductor and the bracket 5supporting the negative or return conductor.

The positive conductor 6 is in the form ot` a T bar supported atsuitable intervals by T- shaped spindles T, the lowerhorizontal web ofwhich extends into grooves 8, formed in the adjacent walls of a bar orsupporting-.bars 9. The bars 9 are of wood or similar nonconductingmaterial that may be coated with a suitable preserving paint or compoundin order to prevent saturation, and at suitable intervals these bars aresupported by the brackets f1, both the bars and the conductor 6 beingpractically continuous, although they may be sectional, if desired. Itis intended that the main conductor 6 be jointless from end to end or atleast in the form of a continuous strip for considerable distance, asfrom one crossing to another, the supports 7 sliding freely in thegrooves S in order to permit the necessary expansion and contraction andconsequent alteration in the length of the conductors due to thermalchanges. The brackets serve also as supports for feed-wires 10, which inthe present instance are shown as inclosed in suitable insulating-tubes,these wires serving as feeders to the main conductor and being connectedthereto in any desired manner, such method of distribution andconnection being' well known to those skilled in the art. Thereturn-conductor 11 is also in the form ot' a T- shaped rail or bar thatis held between two wooden strips 12, supported by the brackets 5 atsuitable intervals. The

bar 11 is formed of iron or some other metal suitable for the purposeand is connected at intervals to a main return-conductor 13 bybonding-plates 14, the conductor proper being' insulated and armored, asindicated at 16 block, and the connection between the two is formed by abolt 16', so arranged as to permit of some slight lateral andlongitudinal play and slight pivotal movement of the block with respectto the slotted bar.

To the opposite sides of the block are secured brackets 17, havingdepending outer flanges 18, and to these brackets are secured angle-bars19, the vertical webs of which are parallel with the iianges 18, and.said webs and iianges serve to restrict lateral play of thecontact-blocks 19', that are yheld in frictional engagement with thecurrent-conductor. Each of the blocks 19 is connected to the lower endof a binding-post 20, to the upper end of which'is secured acurrent-conducting wire 21, leading to the motor on the car, the wirebeing held in place by the usual binding-screw 22. Each of the blocksalso carries a pair of leaf-springs 23, the opposite ends of which bearagainst the lower surface of the brackets 17, while the intermediateportions of the springs are rigidly secured to blocks 24, havingdovetail or beveled sides that fit in correspondingly-shaped recessesformed in the upper portions of the block.

At a point midway between the brackets on each side of the block isarranged a bracket or arm 25, having an opening through which thebinding-post 2O passes and by which it is guided, so that the contactblock may be moved freely up and 'down in following any irregularitiesof the conductor or the main body of the collecting device may be movedup or down as the car vibrates in following any irregularities of theroad-bed.

The slot-bar 15 is provided at its opposite edges with vertical openings30 for the passage of the current-conducting wires, so that the wiresare shielded from contact with the walls of the conduit-slot.

Secured to the truck-bolster 31 0r to other convenient points of the caror other vehicle is a hanger 32, preferably formed in two parts unitedby suitable rivets or similar securing devices and provided at its lowerend with sockets for the reception of ahinged pintle 33, that forms asupport for a hollow bar 35, that is preferably of rectangular form incrosssection and serves as a guide for a verticallydisposed bar 36, thelower end of which is hinged to the top of the slot-bar 15.

Near the upper end of the hollow bar 35 is a transversely-extendingopening 37, and disposed vwithin the opening is a spring andspring-casing of the character best shown in Fig. 3. The spring-casingcomprises a lower cup 38, having dependent lugs 39, arranged one on eachside of the upper portion of the bar 36 and secured thereto by asuitable bolt 37 The base of the cup has an upwardly-projecting pin 40,forming a lower guide for a compression-spring 41. The upper member ofthe Vspring-casing is in the form of an inverted cup, as indicated at42, and fits telescopically over a cup-shapedv member 38, and the uppercasing member is provided with a screw 43, the lower end of whichprojects within the cup and forms a guide for the upper end of thespring. The upper end of the screw 43 is adapted to a threaded opening'in the bar 35 and by turning said screw the cup-shaped member 42 may bedepressed or may be riveted in order to adjust the stress of the springto any desired extent, and thus gradually adjust the degree offrictional contact between the blocks and the current-collector and theconductors within the conduit. The spring serves to force thecontact-blocks into engagel bar drop from any cause, the lugs 39 of thebar 36 will come into contact with the lower wall of the opening 37 andprevent excessive downward movement of the parts.

It will be observed that the comparatively loose connection between thecar and the current-collector will permit free lateral as well asvertical movement of the car without in any manner disturbing theposition of the contactblocks and that under all circumstances thesprings will act to force the contact-blocks into constant engagementwith the conductors.

It is of course apparent that rollers may be substituted for thefriction-blocks shown in the drawings, and as this is a common andwell-known expedient in the art illustration of this particular detailis not considered necessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In anelectric-railway system, having stationary electrical conductors, aloosely-mounted current-collector free to accommodate itself tovariations in the relative positions of the conductors and thetraffic-rails, said collector including a block'or body portion, aslot-bar loosely connected to the slot to permit limited rocking andpivotal play, brackets carried by the block, and loosely-mountedcontacts free for vertical and pivotal movement with respect to thebrackets, said brackets serving as means for limiting the independentplay of the contacts.

IOO

2. In a current-collector, the combination with a block or body portion,of projecting g'uiding'-brackets, contact-blocks g'uided by the bracketsand held thereby from excessive lateral movement, binding-posts carriedby the contactblocks, binding' -post guiding' brackets carried by theblock and permitting' Jfree vertical play thereof, springs arrangedbetween the blocks and the brackets and tending' to force the blocksinto engagement with the current-conductors, a slot-bar connected to theblock, and current-conducting' wires connected to the binding-posts,substantially as specified.

3. In a current-collector, a bar or block of insulating' material,spaced brackets arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the block andhaving' depending' l'lang'es, angle-bars secured to the brackets andhaving' vertically-disposed webs, contact blocks `guided between theflanges and webs, springs tendingl to force the contact-blocks away fromthe brackets, binding-posts secured to the contact-blocks and forming' apivotal point therefor, and means Vfor guiding' said binding-posts.

4. In a current-collector, a block of insulating material, bracketsarrang'ed on eitherside ot' the block, contact-blocks free for swinging'movement in a horizontal plane and free to move vertically toward andfrom the brackets, thereby to permit the contacts to compensate forirregularities in the conductor and trafficrails.

In a current-collector, contact devices, a

slot-bar supporting the same and free for vertical movement, a pair oftelescopically-connected members of which one is connected to theslot-bar, and a spring' tending' to separate said members and impartdownward stress to the slot-bar and contact devices.

6. In a current-collector, a slot-bar, contact devices carried thereby,a bracket depending' from a car or other vehicle, a pair oftelescopically-titting members ot' which one is pivotally connected tothe slot-bar and the other to the bracket, telescopic cups forming aspring-casing' and secured one to each of the members, and acompression-spring' disposed within said casing'.

7. In a current-collector, a slot-bal', contact devices carried thereby,a bracket depending' from a car or other vehicle, a hollow bar havingpivotal connection with the bracket, a bar having' pivotal connectionwith the slot-bar, the two pivoted bars intertitting' telescopically andthe hollow bar having a transversely-disposed opening, a cup carried byeach bar, an adjustable supporting' means for one of the cups, and aspring' arrang'ed between the cups, substantially as speciiied.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have heretoaflixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

ABRAHAM A. SHOBE. VILLIAM EMBLEY. I/Vitn esses:

Gino. WV. VARE, FRANK M. NVARE.

